Fishing-tool



Jorrit raam: MoDowELL, or snae'varo'ivr, LOUISIANA.

l risalire-Toor..

Specicatlon of Letters Patent.'

Patented Apr. 12, 1921.

l Application illed April 2.6, 1920. Serial N0. 376,697.

To all whom z't may concern Be it known that I, JOHN F RANK Mo- DownLr., a citizen of the United States, and

a .resident of Shreveiport, in the parish of Caddo and State o Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fishing-Tools, of which the following isa specification.

My invention is an improvement in lishing tools, and has for its ob'ect to .provide a tool of the character speci ed which may be inserted .into the top of a pi e, well casing, or drill stem, and which, w en once inserted, cannot be withdrawn until released the arrangement being such that the tool may move freely downwardly in the pipe but clamps the pipe when it is moved upwardly and will be held against accidental displacement.

In the drawings: Y

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a portion of a well casing, showing the tool 1n use;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view;

Fig. 3 is a vertlcal section.

The present embodiment of the invention is shown in connection. with a well easin l within which is a. drill stem 2 or the li e, the said stem bein broken or otherwise disconnected from t e hoistin mechanism. As is known, these broken too s must be removed from the well or the well must be abandoned.

In the usual procedure of fishing for the tool the fishing tool is lowered into the well and the said tool is manipulated to engage about the top of the stem. Since the stem is leaning against the well casing and does not have its axis vertical, the engagement of the iishing tool is a dificult matter and eX- tremely uncertain. My improved tool is adapted to enter the pipe or drill stem and to grip it from within. Since the stern takes up a considerable portion of the area of the well casing it wil be easier to engage the tool within the pipe than to engage it about the pipe.

The improved tool comprises a substantially cylindrical body 3 of suitable cross section to freely enter the top of the drill stem. At its lower end the body 1 has a tapered portion 4, which is adapted to facilitate the entrance of the tool into the drill stem, and the upper end is threaded as shown at 5, to engage mechanism including a string of. pipe indicated at 6 for raising and lowerinlg the tool.

T e tool body 3 is provided with a series of recesses or openings 7 extending longitudlnally thereof, fromthe top to near the bottom of the cylindrical ortion in downwardlly and outwardly divergent relation, and t e. said recesses or openings, at their lower ends, extend through the outer or peripheral face of the body, as shown at 8 in Fig. 1. Theopenings 8 are substantially triangular and are less inwidth than the diameter of the recesses 7 The recesses in# cline outwardly toward their lower ends, in order that they may cut the eripheral face at the said lower ends, at digrent points or elevations in stepped relation, and a ball 9 is arranged in each recess, the balls being of a size to move smoothl in the recesses. Each recess cuts the peripheral face at its lower end at a point such that while a considerable portion of the ball may be eX- truded beyond the eriphery of the body of the tool when thev all is at the lower end of the recess, the ball cannot pass entirely from the recess. The upper ends ofthe recesses 7 are closed by plugs or any other suitable means to prevent disengagement of the balls at the said upper end.

In use, when the oint or tool 3 is engaged with its hoisting mechanism 6 it is lowered into the well casing, until the tapering portion 4 thereof enters the broken drill stem indicated at 2. After twoor more -balls are. below the top of the drill stem, the tool cannot be disengaged from the stem until the balls'are released, that is, until they are moved upwardly. Referring to Figs. 1 and 3, it will beseen that the o enings 8 are at different levels. ,Some o the recesses 7 openl on the periphery of the tool near the lower end, while others open near the upper end and still others open intermediate the ends at various points in substantially spiral formation thus insuring a proper and positive engaging, gripping and releasing action.

I claim: 1. A tool of the character specified, com- \prising a body of cylindrical form having a tapering point, and havin recesses extending longitudinally thereo from the upper end and inclining outwardly toward their lower ends and opening through the peripheral wall of the body, and balls in the recess, the ognenin s in the recesses at the peri hery o the od being at dii'erent leve s and large enou to permit a portion of the balls to extru e and bein too small 2. A fishing tool comprising a cylindrical\` body portion having a tapered lower end and athreaded upper end provided forengagement with means for. raising and lowering the saine, said body being also pro- 'direction diverging from each other. an

communicating with andthrou h the peri'pheral face of the body wall o the tool at different points or elevations in stepped-like relation and substantially spiral formation,

the openin s of 'therecesses on the eriphery being sma er at the top than at tl? and large enough topermt a considerable portion of the ball to extrude therefrom, but toosmall to permit the entire ball to pass, and balls in said assa es or recesses.

,JOHNIliRA K'MQDOVVELLa e bottomv 

